It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a decorative screen, particularly for use in window treatments, interior decoration, and the like, which can be easily customized to complement any decor. The decorative screen shows a mosaic of elements, preferably of similar shape. Just as in a typical tile mosaic, the hue, saturation, and brightness of each element is consistent across that element.
More specifically, a design, preferably multicolored and preferably transparent or translucent (at least in part), is prepared (by ordinary means) on or as a transparent or translucent substrate (such as polyester film, glass, rice paper, or shadecloth). This design substrate is then made to be a layer inside a digitizing panel, forming the decorative digital screen.
The digitizing panel is constructed of two sheets of diffusing material (such as etched glass or tracing paper or fine mesh fabric) placed in close proximity (and essentially parallel) to the exposed faces of at least one grid. A grid is a cellular (e.g., honeycomb or eggcrate) structure (which may be regular or irregular and), which transmits light more readily through its thickness (i.e., perpendicular to the walls between cells) than it transmits light between cells. The faces of a grid are the two generally parallel surfaces defining the thickness of the grid. An exposed face of a grid is one which, before a design substrate is installed, is not in close proximity to another grid.
It is preferred that the cell walls be opaque and matte white in color. It is preferred that the cell walls be parallel and of uniform thickness. The grid is made by ordinary means used to make cellular structures, including, but not limited to, molded plastic (as an integral grid) and metal strips (slit halfway across at regular intervals and assembled into a grid).
The thickness of the digitizing panel is preferably about equal to the greatest distance across a cell. The digitizing panel may have a frame to secure the layers of the digitizing panel to each other or merely for decoration.
The design substrate may be installed in the digitizing panel during manufacture or (particularly for rigid digitizing panels) through a slot at an edge or by removal of a frame or by unzipping a diffuser or by other ordinary means. It is preferred that the design substrate be replaceable.
In the preferred embodiment, the design substrate is placed between two grids. The decorative digital screen then comprises (starting at either face) a diffuser, a grid, the design substrate, a grid, and a diffuser. The grids are preferably congruent and in register, but need not be either.
When such a decorative digital screen is illuminated from either face, the opposite face displays a mosaic pattern which is a digitized representation of the design on the design substrate. Digitization of the design make the design appear more orderly, more polished than the unprocessed design. It is therefore possible to turn a crudely made design into a pleasing display. Thus, the decorative digital screen allows one of limited skill (or limited time) to use a crudely made design as part of a finished project.
Alternatively, the design can be a more finished work, which is then transformed into a distinctive, mosaic form by the digitizing process.
The decorative digital screen can be (or can be a segment of) a window shutter, shade, or blind; a lampshade; a privacy screen; or other decorative object. The decorative digital screen can be implemented entirely of soft materials, such as tissue paper or fabric, so that it may be rolled like a window shade or drawn like a drape.
For uses where one side will always be the illuminated side, e.g. a lampshade, the preferred decorative digital screen has only one grid and the design substrate is placed between the diffuser of the illuminated side and the one grid. Alternatively, the design can be applied to one of the sheets of diffusing material, preferably on the side facing a grid. The diffusing material then acts as both diffuser and design substrate.